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Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) has been on a steady rise since its release last year, amassing over 100 million downloads within a year to make it one of the most popular titles in the Indian gaming market.
However, the rise was hindered after the Indian government ordered Google and Apple to delist the game from their respective virtual stores. The two giants complied with the central order and the game was removed from stores on July 28.
Several statements from various parties have surfaced online, but the game is yet to be relaunched in India.
Why was BGMI banned in India and where does it presently stand?
According to a senior official from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), the game was suspended by the government based on multiple reports suggesting the title had malicious codes that were detrimental to the integrity, sovereignty, and security of India.
The official added that the app also requires certain permissions through which users can be monitored and surveyed by sources from outside India. The game was banned following rules mentioned in Section 69 A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Meanwhile, answering an unstarred question, the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Mr. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, replied positively to identifying the potentially detrimental apps that were responsible for sending information out of the country. His response hinted that BGMI was one of the 348 apps that were banned for the same reason.
As of now, the game remains suspended from virtual stores. However, in-game servers are still online, which has prompted millions of players to flock the game each day. Many popular BGMI YouTubers like Dynamo, NinjaJOD, and Kani Gaming have been live streaming the game regularly.
However, the latest 2.2 update was not released by the developers and the RP section was also locked on September 20, indicating that the upcoming M15 and M16 RPs may no longer be available in the game. Players may have no other option but to play the same modes for the next two months.
It is yet to be seen whether Krafton and MEITY can resolve these issues besides a tentative date for the title to relaunch in the Indian market.
Official statements from Krafton after BGMI ban
Although it's been over a month since the game faced an interim suspension, only a few statements have been released by Krafton.
The initial statement came from Sean Hyunil Sohn, Krafton India's CEO, who mentioned that the company has always prioritized the security and privacy of user data and has abided by Indian laws.
He also urged players and fans of the game to remain positive about the game's comeback as the company tries to establish communication with concerned authorities.
Meanwhile, Krafton's CFO, Bae Dong-geun presided over a conference call where he seconded Sean's previous statement and said that the company respects the privacy policies of the Indian government and works on "stringent data security standards and monitoring". He even stressed the importance of BGMI and how Krafton is trying its best to make it available for Indian users again.
